A Swansea woman and her husband have admitted perverting the course of justice by pretending he was unfit to stand trial due to being in a coma.

Helen Knight, 34, of Sketty, and her husband Alan Knight, 48, appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday.

The couple both pleaded guilty in the 10-minute preliminary hearing.

Helen Knight’s guilty plea will be considered by the prosecution in a fortnight, when Alan Knight will be sentenced.

Alan Knight was jailed for four-and-a-half years in November 2014 on fraud and forgery charges.

Helen Knight was released on bail.

Knight pretended to be a quadriplegic and in a coma for two years to allegedly evade justice.

He conned his neighbour out of £40,000 but was caught by police on shopping trips and holidays.

He then admitted himself to hospital, claiming his health had worsened.

Judge Peter Haywood said he expressed very strong views about the “cock and bull story” which was presented by Alan Knight in the past, and “which he [Knight] now accepts was false.”

Among his victims are Geraint Davies MP who took up Alan Knight’s case “in good faith” and wrote to police after meeting his wife, Helen.

The Swansea West MP told BBC Wales: “I met Helen Knight and she described how Alan had a terrible medical condition, they’d been abused by the police, bundled into a squad car and he wasn’t very fit to go to court and was now in hospital”

“Basically, all of that was lies.

Knight, 47, from Swansea, faked the condition to evade prosecution after conning a neighbour out of £40,000.

Officers tried to bring him court on “at least two occasions” but each time he admitted himself to hospital claiming his condition had worsened.

However, doctors at the hospital spotted him eating, wiping his face and writing.

In letters to her local paper at time of the con, mother-of-three Mrs Knight said: “My husband is quadriplegic and in a comatose condition, bed-bound at home.

“Obviously any movement is not possible. All involved with my husband’s care are outraged.

“There have been continuous demands for him to attend court and they won’t accept his condition. It’s horrendous.”

Photographer Darren Britton, who took pictures of Knight, said: “He was very convincing – he was twitching as he was laying down in bed.

“His wife was crying, she seemed to be distraught. I had no idea he was pulling such an elaborate con trick – he has taken a lot of people in.”